Llum light arts festival returns to Barcelona's Poblenou neighborhood this weekend

Light arts festival Llum BCN returns to Barcelona's Poblenou neighborhood this weekend for the 13th year. 

From Friday, February 2 to Sunday, February 4, the trendy former industrial district will be lit up with projection mappings, interactive installations and spectacular light shows. 

Visitor participation is one of the threads running through this year's program, with "very experiential works," according to artistic director Maria Güell Ordis. 

As well as 13 works from renowned international and local artists, the festival will also include 17 works from lighting and design schools in Barcelona. 

Indoor and outdoor installations will be dotted around Poblenou, extending to more sites on Avinguda Meridiana this year, such as the Auditori de Barcelona, the Mercat dels Encants and the National Theater of Catalonia (TNC). 

Organizers have created three colour-coded itineraries to guide visitors and an app with information about all the installations. 

The 2024 edition features many young artists and "a lot of participation from female artists," Güell says, adding that the festival is "is absolutely balanced" with regard to gender parity. 

Interactive 

Many installations "are appropriations and transformations of the space" that will make the installations "participative," Güell says. 

"But there are particularly some spaces, such as DHub, in which the viewer will be part of the show in a very explicit way," she says, adding that one of the facades will incorporate "a very dynamic and fun projection." 

Opening hours and getting there 

The general opening hours on Friday and Saturday are from 6:30pm to 11:30pm, and on Sunday from 6:30pm to 11:00pm. 

Access to all venues is free of charge. 

The area can be accessed via metro, tram, bus or train.

The closest metro stops are Glòries (red line L1), Clot (red line L1 and purple line L2), and Bogatell, Llacuna, Poblenou and Selva de Mar (all yellow line L4).

Tram lines T4 and T5 serve the area, as do several buses: 6, 7, 62, 136, 192, H12, H14, H16, V25, V31, B20 and B25; and night buses (NitBus): N2, N6, N7, N8 and N11.

The Rodalies train network lines R1, R2, R2N and R11 call at Clot-Aragó station.